Surgery Details

I have had a lot of people asking me about the prenatal surgery that we may be embarking on in the next few weeks.  First of all, I am learning as I go, so I am sure many of the details will become clearer in the next few weeks.  Since 2003, the surgery was only performed in three locations in the US.  Between 2003-2010 the surgery was only offered as a research trial.  It was a randomized surgery which meant that couples who wanted to have it had to first qualify, agree to it, and then a computer decided if they were chosen for prenatal or postnatal surgery.  There were lots of restrictions on the women who had the surgery because of the nature of the study.  For example, after the surgery they had to remain in the hospital vicinity for the remainder of the pregnancy. I am so glad that the trial ended with positive results indicating beneficial results from the prenatal surgery this past December. In fact, the medical journal was just published in February of this year.  I am so thankful for the 183 women who participated in this trial, while not knowing what the outcome would be.  They definitely gave up a lot and paved they way for others to be able to have this done in the future. 

When I am pregnant I am very conservative with everything that I eat and drink!  I barely take two regular Tylenol unless I am dying (and I know that they are totally 100% fine to take).  So the thought of having major surgery on my baby and uterus while pregnant is a crazy thought to me.  In fact, until a few weeks ago I didn't even realize that this was a possibility.  (I mean a doctor won't even touch the ugly and very painful varicose vain on the back of my right leg until I am no longer pregnant....but they will perform a major surgery!!!) Needless to say... my thinking is changing! 

From what I have learned, the surgery is about a three hour procedure.  I will be completely out....thank you Lord.  They will hopefully be able to do a low hip to hip incision and....brace yourself....then they take the uterus completely out of the abdominal cavity.  They somehow drain all of the amniotic fluid from that precious little sac and and then carefully pinpoint the placenta.  They have to make sure the incision is no where near it.  Right now my placenta is in the front so they will likely make the uterine incision on the back side of the uterus.  They expose the baby enough to get to the back and they delicately close up the spina bifida lesion.  They return the baby back into the uterus and close it back up .  They add back all the amniotic fluid into the uterus and then return the uterus into my abdominal cavity.  Then I would get sewed back up and very carefully monitored.  That monitoring would include lots of meds to prevent contractions for the remainder of the pregnancy. 

I would be in the hospital for about 5 days and then have to stay close by for while longer until I clear the post-opt appt.  At that point, I can return home and do my very best to take it easy for the remaining weeks of my pregnancy.  Their goal would be to get me to 34/35 weeks which is crazy early to me, but pre-term delivery is probably the largest risk from the surgery.  If I made it to 37 weeks they would do a C-section then.  Needless to say, Eli will most likely not be an August baby! 

This is definitely not what I had planned for Eli or for our summer.  I was so looking forward to beach and pool days now that my girls are older this year.  Each day at some point, I start thinking that maybe we shouldn't have the surgery and just do it post-delivery.  The surgery definitely is making life more stressful in all directions: financially, emotionally, physically....and it pretty much puts my life on hold for the next two or three months.  Then I start thinking about Eli and although I don't know him yet and I cannot even picture his sweet little face in my mind....I know I am his mother.  I think of Samuel, Ella, and Eliza.  I know that from the first moment I laid my eyes on them that my love for them was immediate!!  I think of how if Ella or Eliza ever had any physical problem that I as their mother could physically do something about....I would without a single thought or question of the sacrifice.  I would do ANYTHING I could!!!  I know that I will feel the same for Eli.  Although we haven't yet looked into each others eyes and I've yet to whisper I love yous into his baby ears...I know that I will. So, despite my fears and concerns, I must do all I can to give him the best chance at life.   Thank you for your continued prayers.